It seems November isn’t looking so bright for us as another gem has once again been taken from us. Canadian-Taiwanese actor Godfrey Gao who is probably best known to many for his role as Magnus Bane in the Hollywood film The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones has died after collapsing while filming on the set of the variety show Chase Me 追我吧.
Chase Me is a very intensive program focused on physical activities (much like American Ninja Warrior) with lots of extreme stunts that are mainly done in the middle of the night. Celebrities are divided into teams and required to complete tasks in an allotted time. News of the incident first broke online due to posts by onlookers on set. Godfrey had been running when he suddenly collapsed on the floor and went unconscious. Celebrities who were on the set included Calvin Chen who rushed to the actor’s side. Godfrey was then rushed to the hospital where he passed away.
Chase Me has also released an official statement, “On November 27 while filming for the 9th episode of ‘Chase Me’, Godfrey Gao who participated as a guest on the show slowed down and collapsed while running, medical personnel on set immediately started treatment and rushed him to the hospital. After more than two hours of emergency measures, the hospital has pronounced Godfrey Gao’s passing due to sudden cardiac death. We are extremely sad and pained. After the accident, the show’s team and his management team have stayed by his side, the show’s team is working with his management team to reach out to his family for the funeral arrangements.”
Chase Me is now facing a lot of backlash due to the extreme lengths their program puts untrained celebrities through and alleged lack of safety measures. I can’t believe that this is happening. That with all the deaths that have recently been happening in K-ent, I really thought it would end there. Godfrey Gao’s last IG post was of him at a charity gala in Kuala Lumpur 6 days ago. He posted pictures of himself in a tux and raised glass as he attended an auction for the benefit of unprivileged kids all over the world. What captivated me more than his handsome and dashing looks was the beautiful smile that was clearly seen on his face. If I could turn back time and have him smile like that again, I would.
For all of Godfrey’s family, friends and fans, my prayer goes out to you. Please stay strong. Rest in peace, dear Godfrey. You will be utterly missed.
Source: 1
Anonymous
Cardian arrect? Really? DramaPanda is becoming worse day by day with its low quality writers smh.
Admin
sorry about that, it was an oversight when editing which we have immediately corrected. thank you.
kimberlyamor
Can't find the "cardian arrect" that your saying or maybe they changed it already but you need to chill. These people are people they are bound to have errors.
_XingYue_
I'm still really shocked at this news! Rest in peace Godfrey!
Anonymous
Me too. I was praying that he will be okay the next day, but sadly his life was cut short. It's so sad and heartbreaking at the same time. Rip.
hohliu
William Chan, Adam Fan, Johnny Huang, Joey Yung , were also few that was on site and saw it happen. I am certain they are still in shock. Filming will halt and those on site may need counseling. Such incidents often will make many rethink about their life and decisions they make. Death can visit us unannounced. Godfrey will be missed by many.
kiwilove
Rest in peace.
TrueBlue
It's incredibly sad that a seemingly strong, healthy man in the prime of his life passed away so suddenly. But the public has to stop the knee jerk reaction of jumping to conclusions. There is an underlying cardiac condition that predisposes young men to sudden cardiac arrest. Many years ago, there as a famous pair ice skater who suffered sudden cardiac arrest while practicing. There are many news stories of young male athletes who also suffer cardiac arrest while engaging in strenuous but not extreme physical activities (like playing in a competitive basket ball game). Please keep an open mind, wait for an autopsy report before passing out judgments. It may be the case that the show is negligent – but no need to make any conclusion now, wait for all the facts.
Anonymous
there was a report that he did frequent health check up to prepare for his filming, the most recent one reveals no heart condition. this show is known for pushing people to the extreme. the broadcast station isnt innocent in this
Anonymous
Whenever someone this young passes away due to a cardiac arrest, it is most likely due to a condition they were born with. Doctors would not really be able to detect it unless they perform specific tests looking for it. It is usually fine, unless the body is pushed past normal circumstances. Like in this case, I heard that Godfrey spent 15+ hours filming for this show. The broadcast station should be looked into.
Sunny
May Godfrey rest in peace. This is absolutely horrific and must be an utter nightmare for his friends and family. My deepest condolences to them.
I hope the production are punished severely. The way this incident was handled by them was absolutely abysmal. This should not have happened. Something needs to be done about the filming conditions of many C-variety and drama shows (Korean also). They push these celebrities too far and forget they are human beings, not machines.
Nano13
It’s just mind boggle there is no medical staffs ready on stand by at second notices …every second count what a tragic … I hope the industry will do more to protect their greatest resource which is the people…???RIP
anon
I am in utter shock… how? He looked so healthy. How could this happen?
Anonymous
Agree. Routine physicals cannot detect rare congenital heart conditions that can cause young people to have heart attacks. Just because he had a normal check up before filming doesn't mean he couldn't have had an underlying cardiac condition.
That said, if it's true that there were no medical personnel on stand by for this kind of extreme sports show, then this is absolutely negligence. The heart attack may not have been preventable and the show might not have been liable for something no one could have predicted, but he may have had a chance to live if CPR/medical treatment was administered in a timely manner.